Russell T. Davies quits Dr. Who

Russell T. Davies, the man credited with reviving Doctor Who, is stepping down as the show’s lead writer and executive producer.

Davies said, “It’s been a delight and an honour working with Steven, and I can’t wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes The Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!” Davies is one of the UK’s best contemporary television writers having also created Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Queer as Folk and Bob & Rose.

But there is good news in his replacement – writer and producer Steven Moffat (Jekyll) will take over for the next series to air in 2010. Moffat has written several Who episodes including ‘Blink’, for which he won the Writer Award at this year’s BAFTAs, series two’s ‘The Girl In The Fireplace’ and, from the series currently running in the UK, ‘Silence in the Library’.

Moffat said, “My entire career has been a secret plan to get this job,” he said. “I applied before but I got knocked back ‘cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.

“Anyway, I’m glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it’s a huge honour to be following Russell into the best – and the toughest – job in television. I say toughest ‘cos Russell’s at my window right now, pointing and laughing.”

The BBC said Moffat and Piers Wenger, who is also joining Who as an executive producer, were already planning the fifth series. There will be no series in 2009, as previously announced.

No doubt the next question will be ‘will David Tennant stay on without Davies?’

The ABC has told TV Tonight the new Who will air this year -it just didn’t say when.

I am fully expecting that David Tennant will leave then as well … he has had am amazing run and will be greatly missed. He may well be the best Doctor ever … with apologies to Tom Baker who has always been “my Doctor”!Jack!

Just a note – Russell is staying for Season 4, the end of year Xmas special and the three special episodes next year. Both David and Russell are committed until then. Whether David stays after that is anyone’s guess.

As AS6 said … we do download the series the day it is show in the UK … then watch it again on ABC … and then again on DVD (if it is an episode that I am not tired of by then) … but the ABC really should get it much earlier in the year as there is no value in holding it to June/July anyway!Jack!

A friend of mine is a typical Who fanatic and has been downloading episodes off the internet. ABC should take this into account. If they continue to let time pass by on this there will be no viewers left. They would all have already seen every episode of the series, well before the ABC deemed it worthy of broadcast.

Well the ABC must be airing it within the next few weeks as Voyage of the Damned is on DVD July 3rd. S4 V1 is out Aug 7th and V2 Sept 4th.

Glad to see Moff get the gig! I agree that RTD’s work has been often superb, but the last season felt kind of creaky. There’s also way too much camp starting to creep in, exemplified by Voyage of the Damned.

Moff has won the prestigous Hugo Award two years running on the show and I’ll eat my Who DVDs if he doesn’t make it a hat trick with Blink! I think he’ll bring back a harder edge to show, ala the later McCoy-era stories.

I love Russell and what he has done for Doctor Who … only he could have made it what it is over the past four years … however, I am finding Season Four to be lacking something … not grabbing me as much as before …Without doubt, STEVEN MOFFAT is a PERFECT choice for his replacement as his stories each year have been exceptional and also award winning … so looking forward to his double episode this year!This news has really made my day! My favourite series of all time is definitely in safe hands!Jack!

That’s awesome news. I was beginning to tire of Davies’ puerile tendencies. While he has EPed some classic television (his best choices being Steven Moffat’s storied) it is time he moved on. Some of the concepts he was introducing also seemed lame or pushing an agenda.

Moffat is an incredible writer and his stories have been far and away the best of each season. The Empty Child and Blink are both utterly brilliant.